Running a virus scan on your computer is an important safeguard against potential malware that can delete your data, threaten your computer's safety and/or inhibit your privacy. Nonetheless, anti-virus programs have a bad reputation of slowing down a computer's performance. The best virus scanners on the market are able to monitor your computer's functionality and detect any abnormalities whilst at the same time not slowing down the computer's processes -- they are known for their ability to compete against the giants in the industry or to use the latest in cloud technology. However, you should keep in mind that regardless of which anti-virus program you choose, the computer may show slower startup times as the program does it job, but this is a small price to pay for keeping a clean and healthy computer.

AVG AntiVirus

One of the emerging names in the anti-virus industry is AVG. Its lightweight design and free price tag have become popular in recent years as the bigger anti-virus programs like Norton and McAfee have become notorious for bogging down computer speed. AVG can be downloaded and installed in less than five minutes; the total file size is 4.26MB. Unlike the heavier anti-virus software, AVG does not require a reboot, but you will need to opt out of its toolbar and SafeSearch features, as those are sure to slow down your browser speed. AVG has made major performance improvements in its 2013 version and independent tests by CNET confirm its speed and high performance.

Avast

Another anti-virus program competing with the bigger names in the industry is Avast. This program creates a unified approach to computer security by combining strong features with robust performance. Some of these features include scanning for viruses up to 70 times per day, disabling scans when a laptop computer is plugged in to save you battery and offering full support for Internet Protocol 6, the newest standard for web development. As with AVG, you'll need to disable some of the install features in order to speed up Avast -- choose custom install and avoid the desktop gadget and WebRep browser add-on. Avast will also automatically install Google Drive on your desktop. If you don't want this, you will need to uninstall it after Avast finishes.

Avast is free to download and will take up 112.04MB of your hard drive space.

Immunet

A new trend in the anti-virus software industry is to utilize the power of cloud computing to speed up virus scans. One of the programs using the cloud is Immunet. It runs remotely and is up to 35 times faster than traditional programs like Norton and McAfee. In addition, Immunet is constantly updated by its manufacturers so that it is kept abreast of the latest Trojans, worms, bots and viruses. You can use Immunet on top of more traditional solutions as an extra layer of protection or you can opt to use it alone.

The software is free for a basic version and $25 for a version that works even when you aren't connected to the cloud.

Panda

Another cloud-based anti-virus program is Panda, which can be managed remotely via a Web-based console in the event that your computer is completely hacked or infected. An ideal solution for businesses, Panda is built to work on computer networks and it offers protection for workstations and servers. There's a free version of Panda that you can try before committing to a purchase. Businesses interested in similar cloud-based anti-virus programs that are sure to keep your computer running smoothly without much noticeable slowdown, should also check out BitDefender.